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The “Rust” assistant director testified in regards to the final moments before the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Dave Halls, who was convicted of negligent use of a gun within the on-set shooting, recalled the sequence of occasions that led to Hutchins’ loss of life Oct. 21, 2021, whereas testifying at armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed’s involuntary manslaughter trial.
Halls did two firearm checks with Gutierrez Reed shortly before the gun went off within the small church at Bonanza Creek Ranch. The assistant director claimed he didn’t instruct Gutierrez Reed to load the gun with dummy rounds that day, however she did.
When he accomplished the second security test of the gun with the 24-year-old armorer, he recalled solely seeing three or 4 dummy rounds within the cylinder. However, there have been six rounds within the gun at the moment.
‘RUST’ ARMORER BECOMES DISTRESSED WHEN SHOWN AUTOPSY PHOTOS OF HALYNA HUTCHINS DURING SHOOTING TRIAL
Dave Halls mimics a gun together with his palms whereas testifying in Hannah Gutierrez Reed’s involuntary manslaughter trial. (Courtesy: New Mexico Courts)
“I don’t recall [Gutierrez Reed] fully rotating the cylinder,” he testified.
The assistant director admitted he thought of the protection test full regardless of Gutierrez Reed not displaying him all of the rounds that had been loaded into the gun.
According to Halls, Gutierrez Reed handed the gun to Baldwin each occasions before the shooting, disputing claims made by Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed that the assistant director had known as out “cold gun” before passing the gun to the actor.
ALEC BALDWIN’S ‘RUST’ ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SENTENCED IN FATAL SHOOTING OF HALYNA HUTCHINS
Halls admitted to his personal negligence in regard to the fatal set shooting by pleading no contest to negligent use of a firearm. He was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation in March 2023.
“I was negligent in using the gun properly,” he stated when requested why he selected to plead no contest.
Dave Halls wipes away tears throughout his testimony. (New Mexico Courts)
Halls turned emotional whereas speaking in regards to the moments within the quick aftermath of the shooting, and the particular prosecutor urged taking a break whereas he wiped his eyes with a tissue. The assistant director recalled being about three toes away from Hutchins and was one of many first folks to attain the cinematographer.
“Are you all right?” he remembered asking her as he described the gunshot wounds. “She responded, ‘I can’t feel my legs.'”
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At that time, Halls tried to “triage” the scenario after leaving the church and ensuring 911 had been known as. The assistant director grabbed the gun and instructed Gutierrez Reed to empty the loaded firearm.
“I took it to her and I said, ‘I need you to unload that gun. I need to know what’s in it,'” Halls advised the jury.
Hannah Gutierrez Reed holds a gun on the set of “Rust.” (New Mexico Courts)
Halls defined that after Gutierrez Reed unloaded the gun, he noticed 5 dummy rounds and one spherical that appeared “distinctly different” from the others.
“I recall it as being gray, metallic gray,” he stated in courtroom. “And I recall that it was, it was just completely different looking.”
Halls additionally testified he by no means instructed Gutierrez Reed to depart the church within the minutes before the fatal shooting nor did he notice she had exited till after the shooting.
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“In your experience, does the armor hand off a gun and then walk away and leave?” particular prosecutor Kari Morrissey requested.
“That’s not my experience,” Halls responded.
Halls defined that it is “important” the reality behind the fatal shooting “be known. That Halyna’s husband and son, her family, know the truth of what happened.
“It’s vital that the forged and the crew, producers of ‘Rust’, know what occurred,” he added. “And vital that the trade — the movement image and tv trade — is aware of what occurred in order that this by no means occurs once more.”
Alec Baldwin sitting in the church where Hutchins was killed in outtakes from the “Rust” production. (New Mexico Courts)
Earlier that day, the jury was shown video footage of Baldwin on the set seemingly rushing the filming process. After filming a take walking out of a shed and firing a pistol, Baldwin yelled, “One extra! One extra! One extra! Right away! Let’s reload!”
In another shot, he can be heard yelling, “Here we go! C’mon. We ought to have two weapons and each we’re reloading.”
While Baldwin was shouting, the footage showed Gutierrez Reed rushing to reload the gun.
Baldwin is also facing charges of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death.
WATCH: ‘RUST’ MOVIE VIDEO SHOWS ALEC BALDWIN PRACTICING CROSS DRAW BEFORE HALYNA HUTCHINS SHOOTING
The behind-the-scenes video clips shown Thursday in court presented a series of safety failures, the prosecution team argued. Bryan Carpenter, an expert armorer witness, testified that even if Baldwin or production were rushing the set, it’s the armorer’s job to slow down and make sure safety measures are followed.
“You tackle the accountability of security for an additional particular person,” Carpenter testified. “You tackle the accountability of creating positive that you simply do what’s obligatory, even when it is inconvenient, even when it is not in your greatest curiosity. And if that is not one thing that you simply really feel able to doing, then it’s best to by no means step into that place.”
Gutierrez Reed’s legal team has claimed Baldwin ignored the armorer’s requests for additional safety training before the fatal shooting occurred.
Hannah Gutierrez Reed lowers her head in her hands during her trial. (Courtesy: New Mexico Courts)
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Gutierrez Reed’s trial began with jury selection Feb. 21. The process took a full day, with seven men and five women selected. Along with involuntary manslaughter, Gutierrez Reed is facing an evidence tampering charge. The armorer was charged after allegedly passing off a bag of cocaine on the same day as the fatal “Rust” shooting.
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